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Clubs and Societies Statement on the Deregistration of the Socialist Alternative Club

Late yesterday, a meeting of the C&S Executive unanimously resolved to deregister the Monash University Socialist Alternative Club (“SA”) after determining that they had committed an act of Club Misconduct, in breach of s 7.1.1 of the C&S Constitution.

SA was directed to a Misconduct Hearing over allegations that their representatives had denied the entry of Monash University students to a club event held on July 30 2014, after the students in question refused to sign a petition relating to the current conflict in Gaza.

Representatives of SA attending the Misconduct Hearing did not dispute that the refusal of entry had taken place. Indeed, their testimony was as such that it corroborated with statements made by the complainants to such an extent that the C&S Executive formed the view that the club had discriminated against the students in question.

Affiliated clubs receive a range of resources from the Monash Student Association, including funding for club events, access to free and/or discounted access to Monash University venues and spaces, free publicity through MSA communication mediums and access to C&S staff to assist in club governance and organisation. In consideration of this, it was the opinion of the C&S Executive that the actions constituted conduct that was prejudicial to the interests of C&S – a category of Club Misconduct – given that Monash University students had been denied attendance at a club event on the basis of their unwillingness to sign a document relating to a
matter of political opinion.

Accordingly, SA was deregistered.

SA is able to appeal the decision in accordance with s 7.3 of the C&S Constitution. Such an appeal, if lodged, would be considered by a Misconduct Appeal Hearing heard by the full C&S Council, a body comprising of the President (or their delegate) from each affiliated club.

As this is a decision that is subject to appeal, it would not be appropriate to comment any further.

2 Comments

How is this conditional entry much different from conditional entry of the women’s space on campus or similar women’s meetings? When an oppressed group doesn’t allow their oppressors into the discussion of the oppression they face, that truely isn’t discrimination. Pretty scary for Monash C&S to say otherwise